Automatically centering drawer handle marking device



July 15, 1958 E. c. GRAY 2,842,860

AUTDMATICALLY CENTERING DRAWER HANDLE MARKING DEVICE l Filed Aug. 1e.1957 INVENTOR.` ..7 ELM ew- C G R-r BY D '-L oq 3 2 )gu/zam ATTO 2H SYSivnited States par AUTOMATICALLY CENTERING DRAWER HANDLE MARKING DEVICEElmer C. Gray, Highland, Calif.

Application August 16, 1957, Serial No. 678,513

Claims. (Cl. 331-191) ent invention is not intended to encompass suchdevices i" in the broadest sense. Rather, the invention is a device thatis particularly designed for the purposes indicated above, although itmay possibly have, of course, additional uses.

A more specific object is to provide a center marking device as statedthat will be swiftly and easily applicable to drawers of any widthwithin, of course, a predetermined range.

Another object is to facilitate the marking of openings that will notonly be symmetrically disposed with respect to and at opposite sides ofthe midlength pin of the drawer front, but also will 'oe arranged topermit marking of openings in predetermined, vertically spaced relationto the top of the drawer.

Another object is to provide a marker for drawer handles as describedabove which will be applicable not only to drawers of different widthsacross the front, but also drawers varying to a wide degree with respectto their height.

Still another object is to incorporate, in a center marking device ofthe character described, means not only for marking openings at oppositesides of the mid-point of the drawer front for use in installing handlesof the type receiving screws at the opposite ends of the handles, butalso for marking of one or more openings that are at the exactmid-point, for use in attaching knobs of the type having 1a singlescrew.

Still another object is to provide a marker as described that willpermit the marking of the openings at any of a plurality of selecteddistances from the top of the drawer.

A further object is to provide a device for the purposes set forth abovewhich will be relatively inexpensive and trouble-free in operation, willnot require the use of additional tools such ras rulers, and will notdamage the drawer in any way.

@ther objects will appear from the following description, the claimsappended thereto, and from the annexed drawing, in which like referencecharacters designate like parts throughout the sever-al views, andwherein:

Figure l is a fragmentary perspective view of a drawer to which has beenapplied the marking device constituting the present invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary front elevational view of thedrawer, portions of the marking device being broken away;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view on line 3-3 of Figure 2; and

miem i il 2,842,860 Patented July 15, 1958 Figure 4 is a horizontalsection on line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Referring to the drawing in detail, a conventional drawer generallydesignated 8 includes side panels l0 and a front panel l2.

The device constituting the present invention has been generallydesignated at 15 and includes an elongated, horizontal support bracket14 of right-angled cross section, adapted to receive the top edgeportion of front panel l2 as clearly shown in Figures l3, whereby theentire device can be suspended from the top of the drawer front.

Side marker strips 16 are symmetrically disposed at opposite sides of avertical center marking strip 18, and formed in strip 18 is a row ofequidistantly spaced apertures Ztl spaced along the longitudinal medianof the center marker strip 18. Strips i6 are provided withlongitudinally and centrally extending rows of equidistantly spacedmarker openings 17, which are aligned transversely of the several stripswith the corresponding apertures 2i) of strip 1S.

integrally formed upon the lower extremity of strip l@ is a lower crossbar 22, coplanar with the strip 18. Cross bar 22 has an integralconnection to strip 18 midway between opposite ends of the cross bar,and inwardly from the ends of the cross bar there are formedlongitudinally aligned, horizontal slits 2li receiving screws 25projecting forwardly from the lower ends of strips 16, and threaded toreceive knurled nuts of clamping sleeves 26.

A widened top portion 28 integrally formed upon the upper end of thecenter bar 18 of the frame provides a support plate, and formed in saidplate are aligned, horizontally extending slots 30, 30 through whichproject screws 3l on which are threaded nuts 32. The screws extendthrough the side bars or marking strips 16, adjacent the upper ends ofsaid strips i6. Accordingly, it will be seen that the strips 16 can bemanually adjusted to selected positions, toward and away from the bar18, thereby to adjust the distance between the strips 16. One needmerely loosen the nuts 26, 32, after which the strips i6 are adjusted,and the nuts tightened to bind against the portions 22, 23 of theframing plate.

Guide blocks 34, 36 are riveted or otherwise lixedly secured to theframe plate, at the opposite side edges of the widened portion 2S, andare rectangularly notched out or recessed on their back surfaces, toreceive elongated, horizontally extending positioning arms 33, 40respectively. Arms 38, 453 at their outer ends have rearwardlyprojecting, angular extensions 42, dit respectively engaging against theopposite side edges of the drawer front.

A machine screw or support pin 46 is threadedly engaged in the frame ofthe device, midway between the opposite sides of the support plate 2d,and freely rotatable upon said screw is a spur gear 48. The arms 3S, 4l)have confronting rack teeth, in mesh with diametrically oppositeportions of the spur gear.

A cover plate or disc 5l) is centrally apertured to receive the screwd6, and overlies the spur gear.

Cooperating with the blocks 34, 36 in guiding the lower and upper arms38, 4@ respectively are headed rivets or lugs S4, 52 respectively,projecting forwardly from the support plate 23 of the frame with theheads overlying the outer longitudinal edges of the arms 33, 40. Saidlugs serve to maintain the arms in mesh with the spur gear, with thearms being at the same time freely slidable in the direction of theirlengths.

It will be seen that in use of the device, one need merely dispose theangle bar 14 in engagement with the top edge of the drawer front 12, andwith one hand extend one of the arms, as for example, the arm 40,outwardly for engagement of the extension 44 against the correspondingside of the drawer front. The other arm is automatically extended bythis action, since movement of either arm 38 or 40 rotates the spur gear48 to cause corresponding outward or inward movement of the other arm.

With the extensions 42, 44 in engagement with the opposite sides of thedrawer, the frame will be automatically centered medially between saidsides, so that a punch can be inserted through selected openings 17 thatare in horizontal alignment, for marking the location at which screwsare to extend into the drawer for attaching a drawer handle.

Of course, if a knob, having a single, centered fastener element is tobe attached to the drawer, the punch is inserted through a selectedopening 2t) instead of through the openings 17.

Of course, the selection of the openings through which the punch is tobe inserted will depend on the height of the drawer. If, for example,the drawer is seven inches high, and the handle is to be centeredbetween the top and bottom edges of the drawer, the openings 17, or theopening 20 as the case may be, that are to be used would be one thatwould be three-and-one-half inches from the top edge of the drawer. Inthis connection, suitable graduations or indicia could be provided uponthe strips 16 and the center marking strip 18, alongside each of theseveral openings 17 or 20 thereof, which indicia would indicate theopenings that are to be used for centering a handle between the top andbottom edges of a drawer of a particular height. Thus, the indiciumseven could be placed alongside certain openings 17 and 20, all inhorizontal alignment, which openings would be the ones that are to beused when the angle bar 14 is resting upon the top edge of a drawerseven inches high.

In this way, the handle will be automatically centered medially betweenopposite side edges of the drawer, and also medially between the top andbottom edges thereof. One need merely position the device upon thedrawer in the manner shown in Figure l, after which the only otheraction necessary is to select the particular openings 17 or 20 as thecase may be, and insert the punch therethrough. When the punch has beenused to mark the locations for the fastening element or elements of thehandle, one thereafter need only remove the device, and drill theaperture or apertures, after which the handle can be readily installed.

It is believed apparent that the invention is not necessarily confinedto the specific use or uses thereof described above, since it may beutilized for any purpose to which it may be suited. Nor is the inventionto be necessarily limited to the specic construction illustrated anddescribed, since such construction is only intended to be illustrativeof the principles, it being considered that the invention comprehendsany minor change in construction that may be permitted within the scopeof the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A device for marking on a drawer front locations for the fasteningelements of a drawer handle, comprising: a frame plate supportableagainst said front; a pair of marking strips carried by said frame plateat opposite sides of and symmetrically in respect to the center of saidframe plate; a spur gear rotatable on said frame plate; and positioningarms extending laterally outwardly from opposite sides of said frameplate and having rack teeth in mesh with the spur gear, for centeringthe frame plate and marking strips between opposite sides of the drawer,said marking strips each having a plurality of apertures denoting saidlocations, for marking of the drawer front through selected ones of saidapertures, said apertures of each marking strip being spaced verticallyof the same, for selection of any of a plurality of correspondinglyvertically spaced areas of the drawer front on which the handle is to bemounted.

2. A device for marking on a drawer front locations for the fasteningelements of a drawer handle, comprising: a frame plate supportableagainst said front; a pair of marking strips carried by said frame plateat opposite sides of and symmetrically in respect to the center of saidframe plate; a spur gear rotatable on said frame plate; and positioningarms extending laterally outwardly from opposite sides of said frameplate and having rack teeth in mesh with the spur gear, for centeringthe frame plate and marking strips between opposite sides of the drawer,said marking strips each having a plurality of apertures denoting saidlocations, for marking of the drawer front through selected ones of saidapertures, said apertures of each marking strip being spaced verticallyof the same, for selection of any of a plurality of correspondinglyvertically spaced areas of the drawer front on which the handle is to bemounted, the frame plate having, midway between the marking strips, acorresponding series of vertically spaced apertures, for selection ofone of the last named apertures to provide a centered location for afastening element.

3. A device for marking on a drawer front locations for the fasteningelements of a drawer handle, comprising: a frame plate supportableagainst said front; a pair of marking strips carried by said frame plateat opposite sides of and symmetrically in respect to the center of saidframe plate; a spur gear rotatable on said frame plate; and positioningarms extending laterally outwardly from opposite sides of said frameplate and having rack teeth in mesh with the spur gear, for centeringthe frame plate and marking strips between opposite sides of the drawer,said marking strips each having a plurality of apertures denoting saidlocations, for marking of the drawer front through selected ones of saidapertures, said apertures of each marking strip being spaced verticallyof the same, for selection of any of a plurality of correspondinglyvertically spaced areas of the drawer front on which the handle is to bemounted, the frame plate having, midway between the marking strips, acorresponding series of vertically spaced apertures, for selection ofone of the last named apertures to provide a centered location for afastening element, corresponding apertures of the side marking stripsbeing horizontally aligned.

4. A device for marking on a drawer front locations for the fasteningelements of a drawer handle, comprising: a frame plate supportableagainst said front; a pair of marking strips carried by said frame plateat opposite sides of and symmetrically in respect to the center of saidframe plate; a spur gear rotatable on said frame plate; and positioningarms extending lateral outwardly from opposite sides of said frame plateand having rack teeth in mesh with the spur gear, for centering theframe plate and marking strips between opposite sides of the drawer,said marking strips each having a plurality of apertures denoting saidlocations, for marking of the drawer front through selected ones of saidapertures, said apertures of each marking strip being spaced verticallyof the same, for selection of any of a plurality of correspondinglyvertically spaced areas of the drawer front on which the handle is to bemounted, the frame plate having, midway between the marking strips, acorresponding series of vertically spaced apertures, for selection ofone of the last named apertures to provide a centered location for afastening element, corresponding apertures of the side marking stripsbeing horizontally aligned, and being also horizontally aligned withcorresponding apertures of the frame plate.

5. A device for marking on a drawer front locations for the fasteningelements of a drawer handle, comprising: a frame plate lsupportableagainst said front; a pair of marking strips carried by said frame plateat opposite sides o f and symmetrically in respect to the center of saidframe plate; a spur gear rotatable on said frame plate; and positioningarms extending laterally outwardly from opposite sides of said frameplate and having rack `teeth in mesh with the spur gear, for centeringthe frame plate and marking strips between opposite sides of the drawer,said marking strips each having a plurality of apertures denoting saidlocations, for marking of the drawer front through selected ones of saidapertures, said apertures of each marking strip being spaced verticallyof the same, for selection of any of a plurality of correspondinglyvertically spaced areas of the drawer front on which the handle is to bemounted, the frame plate having, midway between the marking strips, acorresponding series of vertically spaced apertures, for selection ofone of the last named apertures to provide a centered location for afastening element, corresponding apertures of the side marking stripsbeing horizontally aligned, and being also horizontally aligned withcorresponding apertures of the frame plate, said side marking stripsbeing mounted upon the frame plate for adjustment toward and away fromeach other, for effecting adjustments in the horizontal distance betweenhorizontally aligned apertures of the respective side marking strips.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,619,695 Boese et al. Mar. l, 1927 2,599,819 Fisher June 10, 19522,647,325 Little Aug. 4, 1953 2,807,095 Maxwell Sept. 24, 1957

